Machine for grinding the teeth of gear-wheels.



P. A. PHELPS. MACHINE FOR GRINDING THE TEETH OF GEAR WHEELS; I

I APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 24, 1906.

Patented Jan. 11,1910} 8 SHEETS-SHEET l.

A ttogneys r-lllllnl rllll 9 F. A. PHELPS. MACHINE FOR GRINDING THE TEETH 0F GEAR WHEELS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 24, 1906.

Patented Jan. 11,1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

rlriilifr Attorneys.

Witnesses 7% xi P. A. PHELPS. MACHINE FOR GRINDING THE TEETH. 0F GEAR WHEELS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 24, 1906.

Patented Jan. 11,1910.

3 SHEETS-SHEBT 3.

11 Van tor SMWWQg rnnnEnrcK PnELrs, oENEwABx, NEW JEnsEY;

MACHINE non GRINDING. THE TEETH or GEAR-WHEELS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 24,1906. Serial No.*336,081.

Patented Jan. 11, 1910.

T all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERIcK A. PHELPS,

a citizen of the United States, residing in Newark, county of Essex, State of New J ersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Grinding the Teeth of Gear-Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for grinding gear-wheels having involute or cyi cloidal teeth.

The objects I have in view'are the production of a machine for grinding gear-wheels of this description, and is particularly adapted for grinding gears formed of very hard material such as manganese steel, in

which the work will be very accurately done, "and at less expense than heretofore.

Further objects lie in the production of a machine which will be simple and formed of but few parts, which can be ad'usted for wear, and which can be utilized or grinding gears of differentsizes and having differently shaped teeth.

I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in whichf Figure 1 is a front view of a machine embodying my invention Fig. 2 a plan view of the same; Fig. 3 is a view of two of the controlling cams, and Fig. 4 is a detail view of the operative parts ofthe improvement.

In all the views, like parts are designated by the same reference characters.

In carrying out my invention I provide a rotary cutter, which is moved through the proper path to develop the tooth by means of a master tooth. erably employed so as to attack the same tooth upon opposite sides simultaneously.

'A'single master tooth is employed for developing all the teeth in thewheel which is being ground. A machine embodying these features is shown. in the accompanying drawings, in which the character 1 represents the main frame of the machine. Upon this frame is a main shaft 2, which is r0- tated by means of a counter-shaft, p ,l'ley and gears shown generally at3. shaft 2 issadapted to reciprocate the work during the grinding operation, and advance the grindihg wheel, and index and lock the work-supporting table when afresh tooth is advanced into position to be "ground. The main shaft. 2 is-shown as provided with a,

Two cutters are pref-- This main crank which is adapted to be connected to mechanism to reciprocate the carriage which supports the wheel 4, which is to be ground. Any form of mechanism may be employed for this purpose, but I refer to use that disclosed in my co pen ing application for patent filed May 30, 1906, Serial No. 314,926, although any other suitable mechanism may be employed. The shaft 2 rotates the shafts 5 and 6 by suitable worm gearing shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The shaft 5 isadapted to actuate the locking and indexing mechanism of' any form, such, for instance, as

that shown in myco-pending application above referred to. The shaft 6 is adapted to rotate an auxiliar shaft 7 through spiral gearing. This shaft 7 actuates mechanism or moving the grinding tools in and out from the work, and for actuating the means for displacing the grinding toolsafter a tooth has been ground.

" The grinding tools 8 are shown as formed of disks of'abrasive material mounted upon shafts 9, which shafts are provided .with pulleys 9 with which engage belts (not shown), by means of which the grinders will be suitably rotated, and each shaft is mounted in hearings on a grinding carriage 10. Each of the grinding carriages is ad? justably mounted uponv a moving table 11 which in turn slides in ways on a movable platform 12, which is capable of movement in ways carried on the main frame 1. The direction of movement of the moving platform 12 is parallel to a line drawn through the center of the tooth which is; being ground, and the direction of movement of the tables 11 is at ri ht angles-tothe ,direc- .tablesll', and suitable means, such asjthe adjusting screws 13 areprovided for moving the carriages in relation to the supporting table 11, so that the grinding tools may be advancedtoward the work to compensate for wear. The directio'ft'of movement of the grinding .cariages 10 in relationfto' thei tables '11 is at r ght angles to the supporting shafts'of the grinding tools.

Each of the tables 1'1 has an integral arm,

- which extends'inward toward itsfcompamon and the extremity of this arm carries a roller 14. These rollers are ad aptedto engage upon opposite sides of the master tooth l5, and, by engagement therewith, move the tables 11, and with them the grinding tools so as to properly develop the tooth of the wheel. The master tooth is secured upon a supporting base 16-. This base slides upon ways 17, mounted upon the main frame 1. The direction of movement of the base upon the ways is parallel to the center line of the tooth which is being ground. The base 16 carries a roller 18, which engages with a cam 19 carried by the auxiliary shaft 7. 'A spring 20 engaging between the base 16 and a fixed abutment on the main frame 1, serves to constantlyv press the roller 18 against the cam 19 and to return the base, and with it the master tooth, to position after it has been moved out of position by the cam 19. Two other cams 21, 21, carried on the extremities of the auxiliary shaft 7 engage with the rollers. 22 mounted upon stub shafts carried on slides, which slides are adjustably secured to the platform 12. The cams 21, 21 serve to move the said platform toward and away from the Work. These cams 21 are in the form of slots made on the inner face of the disks which constitute the bodies of the cams. A spring 23 connects the two tables 11 so as to constantly keep the rollers 14 in engagement with the master tooth 15; The master tooth, as shown inFig. 4, is in the form. of a plate, secured in position on the base 16 by means of a bolt 24; passing throu h a slot in the plate so that the position oi the plate may be changed in relation to the base, in order to utilize: a single master tooth for grinding gear teeth of different depths. The formation of the master tooth is made by a cut-away portion in each side of the plate, each cutaway portion being alike. The tooth roper extends from a to b, and is shown in the form of involute curves. Beyond each extremity of the tooth the plate is cut away so .as to accommodate the roller 14 when the latter isin engagement with the extreme edge of the master tooth. in grinding teeth of different shape'than involutes, the curves from a to 6 would be correspondingly changed.

The shape of the cams 21 and 19 is shown in Fig. 3. in this embodiment of the invention, the periphery of the cam is divided into thirty-two equal arts. In three of these parts, from c to the cam slot 21 is concentric with its center yztrom d to 6, three more parts, extend sharply outward toward the periphery. During six parts, from 6 to f, it is again concentric with the center. Over the remaining twenty parts, from fto c, the cam slot gradually approaches the center, so as to arriye-at the position it is inat 0. The cam 19 is shown as concentric for the mayor portion of its circumference, the

seams cam protuberance being" at about the middle of the space between (1 and 05 extending to slightly beyond the part (5.,

The operation of the machine'is as follows: The wheel to be ground is adjusted upon its supporting table, which is properly locked and indexed. The grinding wheels being then rotated in the proper direct-ion and at the correct rate of speed, the. main shaft 2 is rotated, which will reciprocate the table carrying the wheel which is being ground, and at the same time, throu 'h the intermediary of the shaft 6, the spiral gears will rotate the auxiliary shaft '2'. This will rotate. the cams 19 and 21. The cams 21, through the agency of the rollers 22 will move the platform 12 toward the center of the wheel which is being ground. The spring 23 will keep the rollers 14: in engagement with the master tooth 15. The iatter' will be iinmovably held in position by pres sure of the spring 20 engag ng the rolier 18 upon the concentrio ,,i9art o; he cam 19. .As the platform 12 is moved toward the wheel which is beingground, and carrying, as it does, the table 11 with it, the rollers 141 on the latter engaging with the inclined walls of the master tooth, will roll on the curved walls of the master tooth and will therebybe separated. As the tables 11 carry the grinding carriages ,10 and the grinders thereon, the iatter will e separates to extent determined by the amount of curve and dimensions of the master tooth l5. The cutting edges of the grinders will be accuratcly moved to follow the contour oi": the master tooth which will he the shape desired for the finished tooth to assume. This movement of the grinders toward the base of the tooth will continue until the grinders have reached the base of the teeth, which position will be determined by the earns 21. This grinding movement will be caused by the cam 21 moving through the spacetfrom f to c. When the rollers 22 are in engagement with that portion of the cam 21 at the point 0, the grinding wheels will have been moved to their innermost point of travel and will grind the base oi'the tooth. The rollers 22 will now en'ga e with that portion of the cam 21 between 0 and it, which will hold the platform 12 immovahly in osition.- The roller 18 will then he engage by the protn berance on the cam 19, which will have the effect of moving the base 16, arid with it the master tooth, out a ainst the tension of the 5 ring 20, 'causing t is rollers 14 to roll upon t e curved portions of the master tooth beyond the position a thereon, at which place the tooth becomes wider This will have the efiect of separating the tables 11, and with them the winding wheels. This is for the purpose 0 drawing away the grinders from the work, so that when they are brought out to he in position i' grinding a fresh tooth,

tuberance from the roller 18, allowing the 5 ring 20=to move, the base 16 and master -tooth into their'normal positions. During the, movement of the cam 21 from c to f, the grinders will be held out and away from the wheel which-is being ground, while the latter on both sidesso that it will be completed 1 therefore that the wheel be re-adjusted or to a just the position of the isbein rotated to advance a fresh tooth to be ac upon by the grinders.

From the mechanism described, it will be seen-that the tooth is simultaneously attacked in one operation. 'This ,does not require turned overupon its supporting .platform after one side of the tooth has been ground It will also be seen that by employing a sinlemaster tooth, much greater accuracy can e secured than where thefmaster tOOth is'in the formofa complete wheel, or a segment thereof, having a number of teeth, Alsp it will be seen thatbyem loying a sin'gle master tooth, the latter can e utilized for? rinding wheels of difierent sizes and with ifierentsized teeth. It will also be seen that by employin a single master tooth it is possible to'uti izethe rollers 14, as they do not have to engage between successive teeth, but only on one side of the sin 1e tooth; consequently the wear upon the "aces ofthe master toothis reduce to a minimum. I

By employing grinding tools which engage at the edges, as distinguished from grinding tools which engage at one face, the ad ustm'ent of the machine is not chan e by wear of the tool. It is sutfiicient grindgg carriages 10 upon the tables 11 to make up for v latform 12, and with itound. At the same time, the cam 19 turning, will disengage its pro-' wear; the shape of the tooth will not be changed by the wear of the grinding tool.

While I have disclosed my invention as applied to amachine for grinding gear- Wheels, it is obvious that it may be used in grinding devices employing teeth contradistinguished from wheels, such as segments,

racks, etc.

Inaccordance with, the' provisions of the patent statute, I have described the'principle of operation of my invention, together with those embodiments which I' now consider'.

to be the best means of carrying out my invention, but I desire to. point out thatsuch means are merely illustrative and that the invention may be carried out by other means than those shown.

Having now described my invention, what I claimasnew and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: i 1

.1. A machine for inding the teeth of gear-wheels, the com ination of a master and a grinder, the said masterl being adjust- .ably. mounted for difierent 'sizedteeth.

2. A machine forgrinding the teeth of gear-wheels having a single master tooth which is an exact duplicate of the tooth which is'to be produced, the said master having an extension to open the grinder on the return stroke.

,3. A machine for grinding gear-wheels,

having a master tooth with an extension thereon.

4. A machine for grinding gear-wheels, having a master tooth with an extension thereomandmeans ,to advance the master tooth after the tooth is ground to move the grinders away from the-work on the return stroke.

This specification signed and witnessed this nineteenth day ofSeptember, 1906.

. FREDERICK A. PHELPS. Witnesses: v

LEONARD .DYER,

AUG. Lone. 

